Quest Diagnostics makes COVID-19 antibody test available online

April 28 (Reuters) - Quest Diagnostic Inc said on Tuesday individuals can purchase COVID-19 antibody testing for themselves through its website QuestDirect without visiting a doctor’s office.

Shares of the diagnostic company were up nearly 4% at $120.62 in early trading.

Last week, Quest said it was launching its COVID-19 antibody test service for healthcare providers to order on behalf of patients and said it expected to perform more than 200,000 tests a day by mid-May.

Quest said on Tuesday people who buy the test online will be prompted to schedule an appointment for a blood draw at one of its patient service centers, and the test results will be available on the company’s patient portal MyQuest, within two days of the blood draw.

Through QuestDirect, individuals can request for the test and purchase it online for $119, the company said.

The service could help individuals without any COVID-19 symptoms find out if they have been exposed to the virus and have developed antibodies to fight it. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee and Vishwadha Chander in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)